The case dates back to April 19, 2009 when Sanjay Dutt was campaigning for the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

File photo of Sanjay Dutt.

Lucknow: A local court in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district has issued fresh summons to actor Sanjay Dutt over his alleged ‘jaadu ki jhappi’ remarks against BSP chief Mayawati during campaigning for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sanjay Yadav issued summons to the actor, directing him to appear in the court on November 16. The court also asked the Mumbai police commissioner to serve the summons to the actor.

The case dates back to April 19, 2009 when Dutt was campaigning for the Samajwadi Party candidate in Tikait Nagar. In the speech, which was video recorded as per the directives of the Election Commission, Dutt allegedly said he would like to offer Mayawati a ‘jaadu ki jhappi’, a catchphrase made famous in his film Munnabhai MBBS.

Then Samajwadi Party national general secretary Amar Singh and the party’s Gorakhpur candidate Manoj Tiwari were also present.

On the basis of the video recording, a case was filed against Sanjay Dutt under Section 509 of Indian Penal Code, which deals with word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and Section 294 for using obscene acts or words in public.

The High Court had passed a stay order in the case, which was subsequently vacated on November 28, 2016.